Can-opener



n. M. STEWART.

I CAN OPENER.

APPLlCATION FILED OCT-27,1919- 1 48,760. Pat t d Aug- 3, 1920.

WiM-wmo such conditions as to turn upon the 310ml) I. STEWART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

OLN- OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

Application filed October- 27, 1919. Serial No. 333,602.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD M. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a combined or convertible can opener, cork screw and cap remover, but more especially to produce a can opener by which the entire top or end of the can can be removed under the edge of the can wall outward so that a complete dis charge of the contents of the can can be effected, and the can body can subsequently be used for other purposes; and to provide a device of this class wherein a uniform separation of the can top or end can be effected with facility and the minimumv effort part of the operator and with little or no risk of the tool slipping. and causing injury to the hands of the manipulator while insuring the maintenance of the plane of the cut sufficiently close to that of the can top or end to accomplish the removal thereof without spilling the contents.

With these and related objects in view the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawing, it bein understood that changes in form, proportion and details may-be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the principles involved.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view of thecan opener applied in operative position to a can as when about to drive the point or reduced end of the blade into the wall of the can adjacent to the side seam.

Fig. 2 isa plan view of a tool applied in the operative position to a can after the insertion of the blade and when operating the device to remove the top.

. Fig. 3 is an edge viewof the tool.

Fig. 4 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 5 is an e side to that indicated in Fig.

he device is preferably constructed from a blank of sheet metal from which it may be formed by means of a die and consists essentially of a shank or body portion 10 rovided atone end with .a knife or b de 11 and a cooperating foot 12. Pivotally it is preferable to dgeview from the opposite' 3. side as indicated in Fig. 1 with the seam 25 mounted as by a stud 13- upon the shank or body portion at an intermediate point is a cork screw 14 adapted when not in use to lie in a seat formed by a longitudinal slot 15 while at the opposite end of the shank'from said blade and foot is an opening 16 into which projects a tooth 17 constituting a cap remover, the extreme end of the shank being turned at right angles to form a hearing or pressure ear 18 upon which a blow may be struck with the hand or a suitable tool for driving the pointed or reduced extremity of the knife blade into the side of a can to be opened as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The blade 11 and the neck 20 by which the foot 12 is connected with the shank of the tool are extended longitudinally and sub stantially parallel with each other, being separated by a cutaway portion forming an intervening slot indicated at 21 in Fig. 2, the cutting edge of the blade being at the inner edge thereof and said slot or space between the same and the plane of the adjacent edge of the neck 20 constituting a clearance. The neck 20 is offset from the plane of the shank of the tool so that the body portion of said neck is in a plane slightly below that of the cutting edge of the blade as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5, the foot having a transverse extension 22 which overhangs the tip or reduced end of the blade and constitutes a depth gage to maintain the blade at a uniform distance from the plane of the top or bead of the can while guidi the blade in cutting the side wall thereo The location of the foot and the connecting neck thereof with reference to the cutting edge of the blade also constitutes a guard for the latter to prevent the hands of the operator from coming into contact therewith through accident while a shoulder 23 which connects the foot with the depressed or offset portion of the neck 20 is adapted to bear against the side of the can and serve'to limit the insertion of the blade through the opening or slot formed thereby in the wall of the can. I

In applying the, tool to a can to be opened place the latter upon 'its thereof uppermost, and force the tip of the blade into the side of the can to the left of the seam and with the foot in contact with the upper surface of the can top. Having made the insertion the can may be turned up upon end as shown in Fig. 2 and the tool worked to the left, the can being held steady by the left hand of the operator, and in this way the complete can top may be removed as the cut may be extended entirely around to and traversing the seam, leaving the upper edge of the wall of the can in an out-turned form constituting a lip which permits of the pouring of all of the contents of the can therefrom and avoids the waste incident'to blade from the opening or slit which is being formed in the canv and said foot and shoulder serve as guiding means and a depth gage to control the relation of the blade to the can during the operation.

What is claimed is: z a

' A can opener having a flat shank provided at one end with a longitudinally extending 'blade having an inner cutting edge, a transversely extended foot overlying and offset from the plane of the tip of the blade and having a neck offset in'the opposite direc-- tion from the plane of the blade and'ar-L ranged in parallelism therewith, said foot' being connected with its neck by an ol't'set'j shoulder intersecting the plane of the blade at an intermediate point of the lengthof its cutting edge.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 40

RICHARD M. STEWART. 

